Inevitability
by Falling Ungracefully
Summary: Failing the ones who needed her was unthinkable. Failing herself was inevitable. Itachi x Sakura.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

**A/N: **_This is my first story. Be nice. : )_

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_Come find me, come find me;_

_I'll be waiting for you to rescue me. _

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**Chapter One**

_Being superior; chained to your duties, to your life._

_It was her duty to be strong._

_And her life to not fail the people who depended on her._

_She would not fail them, but it was inevitable, that in the end…_

…_she would fail herself._

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Fight. Heal. Fight. Heal. Fight. Heal.

The rosette girl sighed, jumping off her perch in the Sakura tree. Ever since the war started, it was a never ending pattern.

_I don't know you. But I know I need you._

Her eyes squinted as she sprinted back to her station, already late. "SAKURAA-CHANN," she turned around at the sound of the voice, grimacing. "You'ree latee!" Her annoying, yet loveable best friend yelled even though she was less than 3 feet from him.

"Naruto," She glared at him, punching him in the face. "Shut up."

She didn't give him a chance to reply, as she set off to work. The hospital was in its usual state: a chaotic mess. She didn't say anything, instead smiled that famous fake smile of hers, and got down to work. Her coworkers always stared at her, never getting over the miracles that she created, and the lives she saved.

_I can't live without you._

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

Four hours.

Five hours.

Six hours.

Shift over.

Sakura collapsed onto her bed. Her eyes closed, but not yet sleeping. The beeping of her clock reminded her that in 2 hours, the routine continued. Fight. Her heart felt a pang. Something was always missing_. _Her heart heavy, she fell into a light sleep.

At least, she thought she was going to.

"Sakura." She didn't bother turning around, hearing the voice of her ex-teammate. "You're needed."

_My heaven in hell; my sanctuary._

She didn't say anything. Instead, she got up with a blank expression and walked away. Sasuke watched her walk further and further away from him, without a single word_.Some friends we are,_ he thought with a smirk as he too, went away to his post.

Shoulders slumped; the tired girl marched to her station, not fully ready to embrace 4 more hours of nonstop fighting. To her surprise, the usual team wasn't there waiting for her, but instead she found Ino. Without a sound, she ran forward and hugged the blonde girl.

It had been 3 weeks since she last saw her. _Three excruciatingly painful weeks._ "Ino." Hugging the girl tighter, she began to cry. "You're back…Welcome back…" She had been sent on a suicide mission to the enemy's side to retrieve stolen scrolls, and Sakura was sure she'd never see her again.

"Sakura…" Ino said in a cracked voice. "It hurts, let go of me." Sakura, who was quick to realize her mistake, now studied the blonde. Her eyes widened. Ino was hurt _everywhere._ Mentally smacking herself for being so careless, she took her to the hospital immediately.

Despite her state of depleted energy, she healed Ino with a scary type of determination. Along the line somewhere, Ino had slipped into unconsciousness with a content smile gracing her lips.

"Sakura-san." Sakura didn't look up from Ino, but nodded her head. "You're needed back at Konoha. Hokage-sama requests your presence." Upon hearing this, she turned around, staring the girl in the eye. The girl looked right back at her.

"Alright, thanks."

Getting up from Ino's side, content with her work, she left for Konoha immediately.

_I'm lost in the darkness…_

_Nighttime_, she thought. _My favorite time of day…_ She stared at the full moon, as her feet worked on their own, carrying her to Konoha. Studying her surroundings, she noted that if she kept her pace, she would be there in an hour.

_The 23rd hour without sleep,_ she noted with an amused expression. _And the world continues to sleep...sleep…sleep…_

She snapped out of her reverie when the towering walls of Konoha came into view.

Home, sweet home.

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"Tsunade-shisou."

The said Hokage turned around, giving her pupil a blank stare.

_You are my light in the darkness._

"Sakura," she pronounced slowly, her eyes lifeless. "It's Kakashi."

Immediately, Sakura felt the familiar pang in her chest. The suspense, the knowledge that someone, someone she _loved_ could be dead, was pain beyond words. Seeing the look in her pupil's eyes, she hastily corrected herself.

"He's not dead."

Sakura let go of the breath she had been holding unconsciously.

"But,"

_Maybe, you're going to be the one that saves me._

"If something's not done, he will be."

Sakura was no longer facing her teacher. Instead, she was halfway out the door. "Where is he?"

"Room 811."

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_Kakashi, _Sakura chanted in her brain, making her way to the hospital with an unrivaled speed. _Wait for me. _Suddenly thinking of Ino, Sakura snorted at the irony. Two of her loved ones returning the same day, neither particularly alive.

The world never ceased to amaze her.

Within minutes, she was back in the confines of the hospital that was a second home to her. The atmosphere was heavier than usual as she made her way to her destination: _Room 811._

Throwing open the doors to the room, she grimaced at what she saw. There was no doubt that he was alive, but there was blood _everywhere. _She wasted no time hurrying to his side, getting to work immediately.

Broken ribs, cracked skull, fractured limbs, and punctured organs. There was no part of him that _wasn't _hurt.

_You're my wonderwall._

Sakura sighed to herself. Her chakra was almost drained and she knew she was pushing it. She also knew she had no choice. It was either her life or Kakashi's. She chose the latter.

The flow of green chakra never stopped pouring from her outstretched palm into his tattered body; not even when her legs finally gave out, or when her eyes were threatening to close. This was her job, her duty; she would not fail.

Her eyes stayed open long enough to see that the bleeding had stopped, and that he was no longer dying. With a satisfied smile on her lips, she drifted…

…and drifted.

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**A/N: **_Ah, I don't know. It was sudden inspiration, I guess. This will eventually spiral into an Itachi x Sakura story, or so I hope. Indeed, I borrowed lyrics from 'Wonderwall' by Oasis, and 'Come Find Me' by Bethany Dillon. I own neither of the songs._

_Special thanks to my lovely beta, MinaTakahashii, for making this chapter so much better!_


	2. Chapter 2

Standard disclaimer applies

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_You can't save me,_

_I'm a death threat._

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**Chapter Two**

_Darkness;_

_An endless void of nothing._

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White. Black. Red.

Sakura sat up abruptly, sweat pouring down her face. She frowned unconsciously at her dream. To her, those three colors represented death, the one inevitable end that everyone met. White and black_, _the colors of nothingness.

With a sigh, she eyed her surroundings. It slowly dawned on her that she was no longer beside Kakashi.

_I will never let you fall._

White walls.

She snorted at the thought. Even after years of working at the hospital, she could not for the life of her figure out _why_ they painted the walls white. It was such an absurd, depressing color. Without a doubt, it descended feelings of death upon its patients. If it didn't, it definitely reminded _her_ of death.

Her feet carried her to the door unconsciously, as she stared out the window in a trance. It was night again, which startled her. She had been asleep for too long. Cursing silently to herself, she ran straight to the Hokage tower, ignoring all the 'Hello's, and 'Good evening's,' she received in the halls. There was no time for leisurely talk.

She chastised herself until she reached her teacher's door, and even then, she did not stop.

"Tsunade-shisou."

The deceivingly young looking Hokage turned around slowly to face her pupil, wearing a tight smile. "Sakura."

_I live for you…_

"I apolo-" Sakura began.

Tsunade cut her off with a wave of her hand. "There's no need to apologize." She was answered with a blank stare. Tsunade heaved a sigh; her student was so stubborn at times. She hated having to do this. She hated the fact that her favorite student was about to become a _was_, and that it was going to be _her_ fault.

"I need you to…" she started reluctantly, refusing to look at Sakura. "Go on a suicide mission." She received a curt nod from Sakura. The look on her face said what she didn't verbally say. '_I deserve this.'_ Once again, Tsunade heaved a frustrated sigh. The fact that Sakura simply could _not_ understand that she was _not_ angry at her was ridiculous. Her pig-headedness ruled over all else.

"Sakura," she started once again, deciding that reasoning with the girl was probably the best tactic. "Listen to me. If you don't want to go, tell me _right now_, and we will find a replacement. I do not want to lose you. You are like a daughter to me."

Sakura stared at her teacher, a sad smile gracing her lips; it was a smile that never reached her eyes.

"It will be my honor."

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…_and I'd die for you, too._

Sighing noiselessly, the rosette haired girl sat back against the tree trunk she had become so accustomed to. It was the tree that shared her Genin memories. The tree that stood over her as she shared her first kiss with an ever stoic boy, and now, the tree that would be her final memory. Her final memory of a life she dreaded yet lived all the same.

The mission sounded so simple, but she knew better. Protecting Gaara and all of Suna would not be an easy feat, and one mistake would lead to her end in a matter of milliseconds, but she didn't mind one bit. Death was an inevitability that most people feared, but not Sakura. She'd decided long ago that fearing something that was always one false step away from her was dumb. Very, very dumb.

It seemed to her, that her life was to serve her village and offer protection to those who needed it. A worthy sacrifice, she had decided. One life in exchange for possibly a thousand others was definitely a good deal, even when the life in question was her own.

Standing up, she stretched out her limbs. As always, she had lost track of time under that tree. That tree was _home_, and even Sakura had to acknowledge the feeling of remorse that was clawing its way up inside her. It was a foreign feeling, and she didn't like it. Not one bit.

_I've fallen through the air,_

Closing her eyes, she let her instincts guide her as she wandered the familiar streets of Konoha for the last time. She was absolutely positive that she would not live through this war, as she expected the worst from everything. She discovered long ago that that way, you were never disappointed. And to this day, she had not been wrong. But little did she know, there was a first for everything.

There always was.

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"I hate this!"

The infamous loudmouth of Konoha screamed in frustration. His girlfriend, his polar opposite in every way, shot him a questioning look, before taking a few steps back. In her opinion, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Realizing his mistake, he quickly apologized to the navy haired girl. She replied with a soft, understanding smile. Naruto matched it with one of his famous sheepish grins. "I just hate this war so much, you know?"

She nodded once again, and before she got the chance to reply, she was cut off by the abrupt entrance of Uchiha Sasuke. Shooting him an annoyed glance, Naruto parted from Hinata's side reluctantly. "What do you want?"

Smirking, Sasuke said nothing. To him, Naruto had always been, and will always be, an open book. It was so easy to push his buttons. It was literally like they had the words 'push-me' written on them in glow in the dark ink. He was _that_ easy to read.

Dodging the punch the blond always gave when ignored, Sasuke threw him a scroll before vanishing, leaving an angry Naruto, and a very amused Hinata. Sighing in defeat, Naruto opened the scroll. Inside, scrawled in the neat writing only Uchiha Sasuke could pull off, was one word.

_Moron._

"UCHIHA," Naruto stormed out his tent, dropping the offending object. "I AM GOING TO MURDER YOUR CONCEITED ASS." Hinata strolled over to the spot where the scroll had landed, the amused smile growing wider and wider with every passing second. She couldn't help but let out a giggle when she read the word. It still amazed her that Sasuke and Naruto could have such a strong friendship. If Sasuke was the ice, then Naruto was _definitely_ fire. And the last time she checked, those two elements did _not_ go that well together.

_You learn something new everyday, _she thought as she strolled out to break up the two boys.

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_Just to look for you._

Sakura didn't know what was wrong with herself. She didn't feel the excitement she often felt when an important mission was placed upon her. In fact, she didn't feel anything at all. Not the strain from her legs, or the pounding of her heart. Her body was on autopilot, but her mind was racing a mile a minute.

The silence of the forest was deafening. She hated silence. She absolutely _abhorred_ it. The only thing she hated more than silence was that occasional pang in her chest. It reminded her that she hated her life. She hated being a _tool_ and nothing more. She hated having nothing, and no one. She hated the feeling of loneliness, which was exactly what silence brought.

_I'm alone._

Looking ahead, she sighed yet again. It was getting dark quickly. She was due at Suna before nightfall, and at the rate her legs were moving, she wouldn't even be there before _tomorrow's_ nightfall.

Freeing her mind of all thoughts, she concentrated on pumping her legs. For the first time in years, she was exhausted upon arrival. Clearing her mind wasn't a hard thing to do. On the contrary, she quite welcomed it. It saved her from being scared. Saved her from the fear of being alone.

The gates of Suna loomed over her as she eyed the walls skeptically. She didn't realize until now how weird this mission was. He was the _Kazekage_, for God's sake. He didn't need a Konoha ANBU looking after him. It didn't make sense.

Her thoughts racing once again, she approached the gates of Suna, only to find another surprise waiting for her. Her astonishment was written clearly across her features.

"Kazekage-sama?"

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_Where…are you?_

_Are you looking for me, too?_

_I want to know who you are…_

_I want to find you;_

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**A/N: **_Okay, well! Whoever even made it to the bottom of the page, and is reading this, thanks!_

_This time, I borrowed lyrics from 'Save Me' by Unwritten Law, 'Your Guardian Angel' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and lastly, 'Fallen' by 30 Seconds To Mars. I own none of the songs stated above. );_

_Again, I'd like to thank Mina for betaing this chapter!_


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